England's World Cup quarter-final against Norway faces potential disruption from severe weather in Miami, with scorching temperatures and predicted thunderstorms threatening the match. The mercury in Miami is expected to reach 34 degrees Celsius this weekend, with lightning also anticipated. Owing to high humidity, conditions are forecast to feel closer to 43 degrees Celsius when the match kicks off. The BBC weather forecast is additionally predicting thunderstorms shortly before kick-off and throughout the duration of the game.
Previous Weather Disruption for England
This comes after FIFA were forced to push back the Three Lions' round-of-16 clash against Mexico by an hour. There are growing concerns that the fixture against Norway could face similar problems, with a cancellation or postponement also technically possible should conditions prove too treacherous.
Match Timing and Potential Delays
The match is currently scheduled to kick off at 10pm (UK time) on Saturday evening, and would not conclude until well after midnight should extra time and penalties be necessary. Even a further hour's delay would see football supporters forced to remain awake until the early hours once again. England's game against Mexico eventually got under way at around 2am in the UK and concluded at approximately 4am on Monday morning.
FIFA Weather Protocols
FIFA protocol requires a minimum 30-minute delay in the event of thunderstorms, with the governing body adhering to regulations established by local authorities throughout the tournament. This means that should any lightning strike be detected within eight miles of a stadium, the match must be immediately suspended. FIFA must adhere to guidance from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the United States. Their protocols require that players leave the field and spectators relocate indoors, away from their seats. Meanwhile, officials will conduct WBGT (wet-bulb globe temperature) readings 90 minutes before kick-off and again an hour prior to matches at venues considered especially hot or humid.
Fixture Venue and Historical Context
The fixture will take place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. England faced similar challenges the last time they were in Florida while preparing for the World Cup. Their final pre-tournament friendly against Costa Rica commenced an hour behind schedule due to torrential rain and thunderstorms at Orlando City's stadium, which sits within the same state. Thomas Tuchel told ITV at the time: "It gives us a little taste of what can happen in the tournament. We were aware of that before, now we experience it. It's no problem. It should not be an excuse to lose our mood or patience or to lose our hunger to play the game." He reiterated: "No problem at all. We realised it when we were still at the hotel so it was easy we just said half an hour later in the bus and let's go."
FIFA Rules on Postponement
FIFA's tournament rules allow for the potential postponement of fixtures if conditions are judged unsafe for play.
